National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

This is a huge Bodhisattva image with a height of over 2.5m. The avatar of Maitreya on the head indicates that this image represents Kannon Bodhisattva. The body is flat and the robe and decorations are represented in bas-relief. The inscription on the pedestal says that a big image and two Bodhisattva images were created at Sukoji Temple (later abolished) in 585 during the Sui period in China. However, since they had deteriorated significantly over a long period of time, repairs were made on them in 685 after the temple was restored by imperial order in 674 during the Tang period. That is, this image was one of the attendants of a trinity. It is Amitaba Tathagata that has Kannon as its attendant. In fact, the central deity image of the trinity is possessed by the British Museum. The central deity image is about 6m high and made of white marble, as is this one. The sculpture styles of both images are similar. According to the inscription of this central image, over 100 people centering on the Han clan contributed to the creation of the trinity and it was originally placed in a village called Kansaison(韓崔村)in Hebei province.